The present invention relates to an air conditioning register, which changes the flow direction of air for air conditioning transmitted from an air conditioner to be blown into a compartment by a plurality of fins and, more particularly, to an air conditioning register that has a structure for selectively opening and closing a ventilation passage by the fins.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 4055693 discloses an air conditioning register for changing the flow direction of air for air conditioning transmitted from an air conditioner blown into a vehicle passenger compartment and that has a structure for selectively opening and closing a ventilation passage by fins.
This air conditioning register includes a case, a plurality of downstream fins, a plurality of upstream fins, and an operation knob. The case has a cylindrical shape, and its inner space constitutes a ventilation passage for the air for air conditioning. Each of the plate-shaped downstream fins has a pivot, and is pivotally supported by the case via the pivot. Each of the plate-shaped upstream fins has a pivot, and is located upstream of the downstream fins. Each of the upstream fins extends in a direction orthogonal to the downstream fins, and is pivotally supported by the case via the pivot. The operation knob is slidably attached onto the downstream fin. In order to transmit sliding operation of the operation knob to the upstream fins, a rack is formed on the operation knob and a pinion that meshes with the rack is formed on the upstream fin.
According to the above-described air conditioning register, the air for air conditioning is blown out of the case after its flow direction is changed along the upstream fins and the downstream fins.
When a force is applied to the operation knob in a thickness direction of the downstream fins, the downstream fins are tilted in the same direction. At this time, the rack tilts together with the downstream fins, and slides along teeth of the pinion. Movement of the rack is not transmitted to the pinion, and therefore, the upstream fins are not tilted. The flow direction of the air for air conditioning is changed along the tilted downstream fins.
When sliding the operation knob along the downstream fins, the rack moves together with the operation knob. Along with the movement of the rack of the operation knob, the rack meshes with the pinion to move the pinion, so that the upstream fins are tilted. When the sliding operation of the operation knob is made along the downstream fins in a normal movable region, the flow direction of the air for air conditioning is changed along the tilted upstream fins. When the sliding operation of the operation knob is made along the downstream fins in a specific movable region that is out of the normal movable region, the upstream fins are almost orthogonal to the ventilation passage. At this time, the ventilation passage is closed by the upstream fins and blowing of the air for air conditioning from the case is blocked.